Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
New Discussion
Options

Outrageous price?

akb3f7akb3f7 member
First Comment First Anniversary
in Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
Hey guys,

Does anyone think $3,000 is an outrageous price for all day photography? That includes a second photographer and a DVD with rights to print...

I LOVE this photographer's work and she is an old acquaintance (but no discount on the fees) but my total wedding budget is only 10k-15k and I read that you should spend only 10% on photography...

Any advice?

Thanks,
Allison
Report Reply to Post

Re: Outrageous price?

  • Options
    fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    In 2009, I paid over $4K for someone considered on the higher end but my package also included engagements and an album (that was about 11% of my budget).  You might ask on your local board to get a better comparison.  Since your budget is smaller, it would definitely be a bit of a splurge, but certainly that is not an unheard of price.
    Planning the Meal
    With All the Trimmings
    Report Reply
  • Options
    photogbride12photogbride12 member
    First Comment
    edited July 2012
    It's not at all outrageous if the work is really great and the experience is there. In most places (this does not include metro areas where pricing is higher due to cost of living/doing business) I would say the average photographer who is legit (paying taxes, full time, has experience, insurance, back up equipment, etc) is between $2200-$3200, with pricing above that being in the higher end and below that being lower end or potentially newer/not on the up and up. I would say that $2200-$3200 range is what most average photographers have to charge to make any sort of profit and keep the business going. Again, not for everyone, but this is where it generally falls.

    Remember that the only thing you have left after the wedding is the husband, the ring, and the photographs. So assigning a percentage of your budget to photography isn't the same as it is with other aspects of the wedding if you end up with a photographer who botches your photos because of it. Good luck with your search!

    ETA: now that I see you have all day coverage and a second shooter that is right at or below average for a solid photographer. Definitely a good deal!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    atomicphotoatomicphoto member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    Thats a fairly standard price for an experienced professional photographer ($2k-$5k is average), especially with all day coverage with two photographers. Its actually a pretty great deal!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    MJandDLMJandDL
    First Comment
    edited July 2012
    Unfortunately, I don't think that is too outrageous for a really good photographer. And I live in an area where prices are generally lower than the national "average." If photography is most important to you and you're set on using her, I would negotiate the price to include an engagement session (sometimes they throw this in as a perk) and maybe see if she can shave off a couple of hours of wedding day coverage to save some money.
    "When life hands you lemons, make a beef stew." Andy Milinokis
    Report Reply
  • Options
    Summer2011BrideSummer2011Bride member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    Our photographer's middle package (the one we did) was $4000 and includes everything you listed plus we got a free 16x24 print canvas. We definitely splurged on photography because that was really important to us. You have to decide if you want that chunk of your budget to go to photos or not. If it's important to you, you can cut back in other areas. I don't think $3000 is a lot for a high-end photographer.


    Image and video hosting by TinyPic

    Vacation
    Report Reply
  • Options
    sophiabaxter81sophiabaxter81
    First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_outrageous-price?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:30Discussion:62f888d2-351e-4fff-9603-5c05d3dd8efaPost:b6392a6d-4ad6-434f-b1bf-5585ba431476">Re: Outrageous price?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Our photographer's middle package (the one we did) was $4000 and includes everything you listed plus we got a free 16x24 print canvas. We definitely splurged on photography because that was really important to us. You have to decide if you want that chunk of your budget to go to photos or not. If it's important to you, you can cut back in other areas. I don't think $3000 is a lot for a high-end photographer.
    Posted by Summer2011Bride[/QUOTE]

    I don't think $3000 is at all pricey for a good photgraper. Our photographer was recoommended to us by our videographers, and he is charging $5000 for a similar package.; I think photograoy is very important, and it's tough to find someone you can trust to capture the moment.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    cemetreesccemetreesc member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment
    that's not outrageous at all. i am paying about the same for 7.5 hours
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Options
    annilluzziannilluzzi
    First Comment

    It is and it isn't........it depends on what you are looking for and the quality of course.
    For a full day coverage and a album, that's a good price.

    For me, a videographer is more important, so I'm not going that high for a photographer.

    Your budet doesn't seem that high for you to spend 3k on photos.

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards